No Mercy, Breakers rule CNMI Billiards League

The spring season of both the Budweiser-Bud Light Wednesday Night and Tuesday Night Billiard leagues was capped off the other night with an awards banquet held at the Club USSP in Garapan.

No Mercy players, led by team captain Senen Pangilinan, received their individual trophies and perpetual trophy for coming from behind to take home the Wednesday A Division.

Aside from Pangilinan, other members of the victorious team were Joey Lucido, Rowel Mariano, Primo Ferrera, and Erwin Gomez. No Mercy was sponsored by Corner Pocket.

“It was a come-from-behind win. We just had great teamwork and tried to egg each other on especially in that last week when we managed to rest the lead. I always tell my teammates, ‘we can do this and no pressure. Win or lose, we always have to play our best,’” he said.

Pangilinan also said they also caught a break when they went up against Pool Junkies minus arguably the island’s top player Roger Espiritu in their second to the last match.

No Mercy edged erstwhile leader Pool Junkies by blanking Da X Terminators, 10-0, last March 23 at Club Chicago. The shutout win gave the team 78 points for the season.

Pool Junkies didn’t even bag the runner-up, second runner-up, or third runner-up plums, as the Espiritu-led squad didn’t arrest its freefall and managed only 72 after tying eventual second place Destroyers, 10-10, at Corner Pocket in an earlier date to finish fifth. Destroyers came through with 76 points after a playoff with Hunks.

The Hunks finished in third place with 75 points, getting the needed points with a 9-4 drubbing of Los Cabo’s also at Corner Pocket also last March 23.

The rest of the standings in the A league saw Los Cabo’s (61 points) get sixth place, Leche Boys fifth (56), Stern Thrusters (54), Da X Terminators (4), Phantom I (0), and Phantom II (0).

While No Mercy essentially pulled the rug from under Pool Junkies, there was no such drama in the B Division of the Tuesday Night League, as Breakers ran away with the championship despite dropping its final game, 5-8, opposite the Ballers.

Breakers closed the season with 77 points, followed by Marines I with 74, Ballers with 63, Marines II with 53, Team Cat with 52, and Sang & the Gang with 37.

Making up Breakers were Ray Basa, Fran Pangelinan, Jeffery Robinson, Tripler Dela Cruz, and Patrick Cepeda.

“I think it was a combination of skill, patience, and teamwork. If you look at the composition of the team, we have more experience and that plays a big factor in our success. Pool is also a mental game and we support each other every game and we stick together,” said team captain Basa.

Buoyed by their conquest of the B Division, Basa and company are now looking at challenging the more established pool sharks of the Wednesday Night League.

“I can’t tell you if we are going to move up the A Division because I still have to consult with my team. But there is a good possibility we will move up,” he said.